Mr Nice Guy: Mourinho crucifies Shaw for his display

Daniel Storey

Jose Mourinho lambasted Luke Shaw after substituting him at half-time against Brighton in the FA Cup.

Shaw has struggled to stay in Manchester United’s team despite impressing on occasions, and has been subject to regular public assessment from Mourinho – both good and bad.

Have said earlier this year that there were not many better left-backs than Shaw, these latest quotes will do nothing for his fragile confidence.

“It is my decision,” he said, when asked why he had substituted Shaw.

“My reason behind it is that we work on the pitch certain kinds of movements where it was really important for the two full backs to be aggressive and to be always in front, to create space for Matic and for Scott to play in front of the two central defenders.

“I didn’t have that with Luke and Antonio Valencia, with both of them. I didn’t change both because it was too aggressive to do it and then I only have one more change in 90 minutes.

“To try to improve our offensive football and be more aggressive I had to change one of them and I decided Luke, because at least Antonio defensively was capable of good positionings.

“Luke, in the first half, every time they went in this corridor, the cross was coming, the situation was coming so I was not happy with the performance.”

Ouch.